New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-02
MORE TALES OF BRUTALITY.
STORIES ABOUT WARDS ISLAND KEEPERS.

STORIES ABOUT WARDS ISLAND KEEPERS.
ONE PATIENT SAYS HE WAS USED AS A FOOTBALL
ANOTHER OBLIGED TO SLEEP IN A BED WITH
yERMIN.
The committee of the State Board Of Charities contn
uad Yesterday at considerable length its investigation
of tho conduct Of the officials and attendants NJ the
Wards Island Insane Asylum The evioenoe was III
good part repetition of that OF the previous day. All
the witnesses emphatic In declaring that the con-
duct OF the keepers and attendants was brutal In the
extreme they beat and otherwise maltreated the
oatents The food was poor in quality Several of the
witnesses testified that from five to ten patients were
bathcd in the water Clothing was scan In winter
and some of the witnesses declared that II was ineseo
with vermn. M complaint was made OF the treatment
by the physcans but 1t was declared that the stan was
not large enough and that the class Of attendants was
low.
John H. Emra was recalled, and testified:
"Boys are admitted to the same wards with men; ths
Is bad Their morals are ma Theirs is
System OF bazng practised by the attendants on the
patients no matter whether they are weak or strong
When went into the asylum had full beard Against
my protest this was shaved or"
Mrs. Sarah A. Chcnowetn, of No. 2,3i2 second'ave.,
testified:
him out month. He suffering from epepuc nus
! visited him every day He was in ward No. named
Fitzgerald strapped n reported this to DR.
On tine nna d @Ss tie
how should not be i.itreated any more Nevertheless
was kicked in the eye by an attendant made com,
plant and the said the Yer his
health good; when be came out ne was ii"0" io'
duced.'
words Nos 10 21 and %. was in the Insane Asylum
for about thirteen months, from June, 1885, TIL July,
1884 am manufacturer OF diamond m1 S.i
,,,nvment was committed to the insane asy um by my
mother and brother without the knowledge OF my We
from the bench which he was seated Inc pa.'ene
sruck on his head and 1t was badly cut Soon a1ter my
admission spat the floor One 81 the Sd
Koran along and saa ms and struck
Violent blow on face knocking me down He then
oh me felt sore for several days another
occasion several Of attendants came from the city,
IN tse Way and one Of the him
with key knocking him down ana causing M 81
lump to rise one eye Ihave seen other cases Vi
After had been in the asylum about two months
was nearly covered with 6edbugs got up and lay on
Of S tseGe saa a 1n
aeep in the bed the bugs He ordered me to
Stick he carried After this persuasion got into bed S
DO say that the beds were as RUE a badV
infesto with yermin patient atismptsa TO PICK
would be ssssn G e bsns in the
same water Al have seen more than oo@en nen
bathed in the same water. ..,,s.s.
4 nv bnsband Henry Mendelsohn, was placed In the
SSS iSSg two H weeks sefoe
pansS to me Attendant MeCps had beaten a ibs
could not he had fallen is In the ysra
End been much nnH to DO &c. When finally
husband he told ne % OF the Ssd hm with
sSa until e he was nearly unconscious When was
about away he begged mS 70 aSS h' wSsn Was
my av 10 the s.yium the second time was told
at the he Was dead am that the body the way TO
shs civ When saw the body it much dishgured
was cut Of the "RSs lip
stsre ID the asylnm bis general health good
Edws nm % isss was committed to Wards Island
Insane Asylum For some time after was admit,ea !
used az football Dot sa oy the the oSeT All Of the attend
ants took hand in this except the heao sndrs
9usa N tSs attendants named Oanon dismissed
or bnockins me down have fault to find with me
aoetofs os VERY Sav saw the health lift practised
Tave seen ten or bathed In the same water
hs nav VAS common occurrence. The clothing was clean
so far as saw but 1t not sufficient In winter
spoke to DR. Trauman about the injuries haa rece'eu'
and treated somewhat PETER seT ai'er 'n"'
william nnSssobp confronted with Attendant McCue
Mendesohn said: THAT is the red wnessed several
assaults on Mendelsohn and others There was no
oyer little drunk believe the doctors gentlemen
but the attendants are brutal Ta aS a ise With
Buffalo Bill. He struck me in the eye with his dia'"on0
fihy anu vu' Rapr testified that blind named Ed
ward Conod had been confined In the asylum ior Two
wears although he was sane Witness ana osiS , ~.
him ont and since then he has made GOOD nVs pay
Ing the piano In concert halls and giving music lessons
hs witness admitted that COnod had been sent 10 the
Patrick Desne, compositor. had been an inmate OK
the asylum He thought there was sew
ars other witnesses were examined, and then 1t was an
pounced that the further examination wiz 10 aug on
till Wednesday week at 10 a. M al the asylum on
Ward's Island.